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CALVARY PANDAN weapons of mass destruction to BIBLE-PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH accelerate their own doom. However, the days of Isaiah were DHW BIBLE CLASS different. The behaviour and conduct of the superpowers in the Middle LESSON 20 Eastern regions played a part in the THE BOOK OF ISAIAH struggle and discipline of the nation of CHAPTER 20 Israel, especially prior to the first coming of Jesus Christ. Egypt, Assyria and Ethiopia were three such nations. Theme: “How the Mighty will Fall!” Isaiah 20 reveals the political intrigues of these three nations where Assyria was then the superpower and Egypt THEME VERSE was in the decline in her influence. Isaiah 20:3-4 (KJV) “And the LORD The rise and fall of these Middle said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath Eastern superpowers will affect Israel walked naked and barefoot three years in ways that have eternal for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and consequences. The rise of Assyria will upon Ethiopia; So shall the king of be followed by the Babylonians and Assyria lead away the Egyptians then the Greeks, and finally the prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, Romans. All of these superpowers are young and old, naked and barefoot, nothing but pawns in the Master’s even with their buttocks uncovered, to hand. He will do with them what He the shame of Egypt.” deems best to accomplish His sovereign plan of salvation for INTRODUCTION mankind through Jesus Christ, His anointed Saviour of the whole world. Nation fighting against nation is Isaiah 20 describes a very unique the perennial norm of man’s history. episode in Isaiah’s life where he was This will never change. Sinful man will commanded by the LORD to reveal never learn from his own history and God’s will to them by way of a very grievous mistakes. Thousands of lives humiliating life demonstration. The will continuously be lost due to these length that a prophet of the LORD has wars. Wars are fought and will to go through to send a message is continue to be fought to satisfy the remarkable! insatiable appetites of tyrants. These warmongers breed more warmongers. OUTLINE They praise one another over their conquests of weaker nations. 1. The Assyrians come (v.1); Superpowers today are merely 2. Isaiah’s naked revelation (v. 2); following in the footsteps of past dictators. This only gets worse with 3. Egypt and Ethiopia will be time as sinful men have created naked (vv. 3-6); DHW LESSON 20 ISAIAH 20 COMMENTARY fate of the Egyptians on whom they The Assyrians Come were placing their reliance (v. 4). By The following event of Isaiah's showing the Jews what would be the revelation from the LORD came in the destiny of Egypt, he planned to stop year when Tartan came to capture them from relying on Egypt, and to turn Ashdod, one of the fortified cities of the back to God for protection and aid. Philistines located on the shores of the “In the year that Tartan came Mediterranean Sea. Tartan was sent unto Ashdod - Tartan was one of the by Sargon, the King of Assyria. Sargon generals of Sennacherib. Ashdod, was a general mentioned in 2 Kings called by the Greeks Azotus, was a 18:17. It seems that this Assyrian king seaport on the Mediterranean, reigned during the time of King between Askelon and Ekron, and not Hezekiah. However, Assyrians were far from Gaza (Reland's "Palestine," well known to possess many names. iii.) It was one of the five cities of the Exactly who was this Sargon is difficult Philistines assigned to the tribe of to ascertain with a degree of certainty. Judah but never conquered by them Barnes commented, “This (Josh. 13:8; 15:46-47). The temple of prophecy occupies this single chapter. Dagon stood here; and here the ark of Its design and scope is not difficult to God was brought after the fatal battle understand. The time when it was of Eben-ezer (1 Sam. 5:1, following.) It delivered is designated in v. 1, and sustained many sieges, and was was manifestly in the reign of regarded as an important place in Hezekiah. The Assyrian empire had respect to Palestine, and also to extended its conquests over Syria, Egypt. It was taken by Tartan, and Damascus, and Ephraim or Samaria (2 remained in the possession of the Kings 18:9-12.) The king of Assyria Assyrians until it was besieged by sent Tartan to take possession of Psammetichus, the Egyptian king who Ashdod, or Azotus, the maritime key of took it after a siege of twenty-nine Palestine, and there was evident years (Herod. ii. 157). It was about danger that the Assyrians would thirty miles from Gaza. It is now a overthrow the government of Judah, small village called "Esdud." It was and secure also the conquest of Egypt. besieged and taken by Tartan as In these circumstances of danger, the preparatory to the conquest of Egypt; main reliance of Judah was on aid that and if the king who is here called they hoped to derive from Egypt and "Sargon" was Sennacherib, it is Ethiopia. (v.5) Alone they would not be probable that it was taken before he able to repel the Assyrians. They relied threatened Jerusalem. on that aid rather than on God. To “Sargon the king of Assyria - "recall" them from this, to show them Who this ‘Sargon’ was is not certainly the vanity of such dependence, and to known. Some have supposed that it lead them to rely on God, Isaiah was was Sennacherib; others that it was sent to them to be a sign; or to indicate Shalmaneser the father of by symbolic action what would be the 2 DHW LESSON 20 ISAIAH 20 Sennacherib, and others that it was Does it mean that Isaiah was Esar-haddon the successor of really naked without a stitch of clothing Sennacherib - (Michaelis). on him? Isaiah was wearing a Rosenmuller and Gesenius suppose sackcloth when this command was that it was a king who reigned issued as Tartan was capturing "between" Shalmaneser and Ashdod and on his way to Egypt. He Sennacherib. Tartan is known to have was commanded to go and loose his been a general of Sennacherib (2 sackcloth from off his loins. This may Kings 18:17) and it is natural to probably refer to only the lower portion suppose that he is here intended. of his body being naked rather than his Jerome says that Senacherib had entire body. That he was to expose his seven names, and Kimchi says that he buttocks is certain as this was what the had eight; and it is not improbable that LORD declared will happen to the ‘Sargon’ was one of those names. Egyptians and Ethiopians in verse 4. Oriental princes often had several The word for naked could also refer to names; and hence, the difficulty of partial nakedness as well as full identifying them.” nakedness as was the case with Adam Ashdod was located along the and Eve. Isaiah was probably only Way of the Sea which links naked from the waist down with his Mesopotamia to Egypt. It was either go inner tunic intact. This meant that through Israel and Judah to reach every time Isaiah went out and do his Egypt or simply march through “walkabout” he would be naked as Philistine territory which was what the explained above. When he was at Assyrian King had instructed Tartan to home for his meals, sleep and rest, he do. Ashdod stood in his way and had would be properly dressed. to be captured before he reached He was also told to take off his Egypt. So Ashdod was taken. How shoe from off his foot. Then he was to long it took, the Bible does not say. walk naked and barefoot. Bare feet Isaiah’s Naked Revelation symbolizes one who is mourning and The ministry of a prophet is an in captivity. Therefore by his life he unenviable calling in many ways. demonstrated to Egypt and Ethiopia There is none more so than when he is that they would be stripped naked and called to demonstrate God’s will or humiliated by the Assyrians and would revelation by means of his life. In the become slaves to the Assyrians. case of Hosea it was to marry a harlot, Pertaining to the issue of and Jeremiah was commanded by the Isaiah's nakedness, John Calvin LORD not to marry. Here Isaiah was argues for total nakedness. He wrote, ordered to walk naked and barefoot “A question arises, was this actually before all Israel. The word for naked is done, or was it merely and simply a the same word used in Genesis 2 to vision which he told to the people? The describe the nakedness of Adam and general opinion is, that the Prophet Eve (Genesis 2:25). never went naked, but that this was 3 DHW LESSON 20 ISAIAH 20 exhibited to him in a vision, and only symbol. Nor is it superfluous that it is once. They allege as a reason, that on immediately added, He did so. I am account of heat and cold, and other therefore of opinion that Isaiah walked inconveniences of the weather, he naked whenever he discharged the could not have walked naked during office of a prophet, and that he the whole period of three years. What uncovered those parts which could be if we should say that the Prophet wore beheld without shame.” clothes at home, and also in public, Sometimes it is our own sense unless when he wished to come forth of modesty and modern day decorum to teach, and that on such occasions that dictates our understanding of the he was accustomed to present to the biblical text.